The BNP put forward an unprecedented number of candidates playing on the prominence of immigration as a key electoral issue. The party may have hoped to win increased votes following Gordon Brown's gaffe after he called Gillian Duffy a "bigoted woman" when she questioned him on immigration.

Mr Griffin's party fielded more than 300 candidates in the election from seats stretching from Barking to Salisbury to Rotherham.

But all across the country BNP candidates trailed in the votes. Esther Rantzen may have lost in Luton South with only 1,872 votes but she beat the BNP candidate Tony Blakey who came in fifth place with 1,299 votes.